Post navigation

Voices From The Readers

It seems that at the end of every year, we read a newspaper account of how poorly the foreign students are being treated by our local business people.

Then we read about concerns that these students will not be returning to Ocean City because of problems associated with high rents, failure to pay wages and the timely payment of wages as well as assistance not being provided by those personnel associated with the student programs and the failure of Ocean City to take an active role to resolve this situation.

Furthermore, we read that some of the offenders involved are consistently committing these violations year in and year out and yet no attempt is being made by anyone to identify those individuals and the businesses they represent.

I for one feel there should be a list of offenders available to the public so we can determine whether we wish to utilize the services they offer. If we don’t do anything to rectify their actions, the situation will continue to go unchanged and will only be a news worthy item again next year.

David Lazar

Ocean Pines

Council Should Not Help Developers

Editor:

Why is it that when these developers get themselves in financial difficulties they go to the Ocean City Council for help? I have never seen one of them give anything to Ocean City when they make huge profits off of these very same projects in other times. The givebacks of the council are really the tax money of the residents. An individual person or small unknown builder would be sent running. If anyone has an answer, please write back to the Editor.

I know I always hear that these projects help Ocean City. Come off of it. They are really for the profit of the developer. Everyone, I mean everyone, should abide by the same laws that the Ocean City Council has developed over many years. When you undertake a project, that is yours and only yours.

J. Marx Sr.

Ocean City

Parade Help Appreciated

Editor:

This is a letter of thanks to all those who helped to make the 25th Annual Ocean City Christmas Parade such a success.

There are many fine community parades here on the shore. The officials of those parades I’m sure echo my thanks to all the people who donate their time to make sure these parades run smoothly and provide entertainment and the seasonal spirit to all those observing the parades.

I would like to thank everyone from the Public Works Department who provides us with the judge’s stand, bleachers and the P.A. system. A special thanks to the Ocean City Police Department for all their work in seeing that the traffic runs smoothly on Coastal Highway while the parade is taking place.

A special thanks goes out to Doug Cymek and his volunteers who coordinate the line-up, start the parade and sees that it flows smoothly. This is no easy task, believe me. Thanks to Milton Warren at Delmarva Two-way Radio for the use of his radios during the parade.

Thanks goes to Jim Whitemore for being our speaker once again. The Christmas parade is a professionally judged parade. Thank you to the National Judges Association for sending three talented professional judges.

I thank the Gold Coast Mall Merchant’s Association for its continued support and for providing all the funds for this parade. I thank the community and news media for its interest and involvement. All this blends together into an enjoyable first Saturday in December in the resort when we all enjoy the Ocean City Christmas Parade. We will see you Saturday, Dec. 6 for the 26th annual holiday parade.

Elaine V. Jarvis

Ocean City

(The writer is the parade coordinator.)

Resident Sustained Serious Injuries

Editor:

In the Cops & Courts section of the Nov. 30 edition of The Dispatch under the caption “Car Leaves Road, Strikes Tree”, your article states that the driver of the 2003 Jetta, Gerald Timmons Bunting, suffered minor injuries to his face and hands. Later in the article you state that he was taken to Peninsula Regional Medical Center where he was treated for these injuries.

All of this is true, however, the article makes it seem that those were his only injuries. In fact, he suffered extensive internal injuries including a bruised heart, a bruised lung, a collapsed lung and a bruised kidney. Further, he had to have emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding and repair a six-inch tear in the diaphragm surrounding his lung. He is still in the hospital recovering and will be there for several more days before continuing recovery at home.

The car that pulled out in front of him did not stop and in spite of a description from several witnesses in other vehicles has not yet been located.

We request that you print a correction to the article mentioned above. The driver who did not stop will probably not be found. The description given by our son, Tim, and other drivers who stopped and came to his aid was just too vague to be of much help. But perhaps this driver will feel a little more guilty after reading the correction than before. And, perhaps someone who knows who this driver is will be prompted to come forward after reading the correction and learning just how badly Tim was hurt. His lung will never be the same even after he is healed. He probably will not notice the difference unless he attempts to go back to playing competitive lacrosse or tries to get into some sort of competitive amateur sport but the injury will always be there.

Gerald W. and Paula H. Bunting

A Forgotten Aspect Of 9-11 Tragedy

Editor:

One aspect of 9-11 doesn’t get mentioned much or get the attention it should, in view of its enormous implications.

I speak, of course, of the incredible weakness in our engineering and construction standards, as represented by the collapse of three steel-framed skyscrapers in a fire on 9/11.

Before 9-11, we used the term "fireproof" to convey that steel-frame construction would maintain structural integrity if a fire broke out. In fact, the North tower suffered a serious fire in 1975 of several hours’ duration, covering 65 percent of the 11th floor; the steel frame took it in stride and did not even require replacement.

But when the towers were struck by aircraft, although designed to withstand that type of damage, they behaved strangely. The jet fuel (kerosene) burned out quickly, but the residual fire caused global collapse – the first in history of such a building. Other high-rise buildings have burned much longer and hotter, yet did not collapse.

Now, three on the same day belonging to the same real-estate mogul turned into powder and twisted steel or took a "Las Vegas dive."

Trees fall all the time. It happens for a variety of reasons – wind, saws, fire, even explosives. But should a giant sequoia suddenly disintegrate into a pile of sawdust, we would think it worth investigating. The towers that day exhibited behavior every bit as strange as a tree that suddenly disintegrated. The towers fell through the undamaged sections as though they were not there. Forty-seven massive steel columns, floor pans, trusses and cross-beams offered no resistance.

World Trade Center Buildings 1, 2 and 7 were designed to stand up and they did – until suddenly the towers disintegrated into powder and Building 7 imploded, although it was not even struck by a plane, and its collapse was reported by the BBC 20 minutes before it happened, with the building visible over the left shoulder of the reporter.

Bill Manning, editor of Fire Engineering, objecting strenuously to the rapid disposal of the wreckage, called the 9-11 Commission investigation of the collapses a "half-baked farce".

Real investigation, anyone? See http://AE911truth.org.

Shelton F. Lankford

Salisbury

‘If’ Is Now “When’

Editor:

A few weeks ago I sent you an e-mail with an “”if” scenario on slots. I suggested that the OPA Board should be lobbying for a monetary benefit “if” slots came to Ocean Downs. Not one Board member or the General Manager even acknowledged the e-mail.

Now the scenario has progressed from “if” to a likely “when”. The slots legislation that was passed specifies 5.5 percent of slots income will go to Worcester County. The legislation also designates (awards) 10 percent of that income to Berlin, 20 percent to Ocean City and the County is to retain the remaining 70 percent.

If you subscribe to any of the predicted detrimental effects of slots such as traffic congestion, litter, air pollution, lower property values etc., then you must realize that Ocean Pines will feel the full brunt, not Berlin and not Ocean City. And what is Ocean Pines’ award for that? Nil, zero, nothing.

It appears from the personal limited public comments made by some Board members that there is reluctance on the part of the Board to get involved in the politics of slots. It is understandable that Board members and property owners have diverse pro and con opinions on the subject. However, the pro or con question will be decided in a statewide referendum. I believe it is now the duty of the OPA Board and General Management to get involved in the politics of obtaining an equitable monetary benefit for the OPA.

Norman Katz

Ocean Pines

Thanks For Generosity

Editor:

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank everyone who contributed to the needy during our Winter Coat Drive.

Through your overwhelming generosity, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage’s 120th Street office was able to provide coats, scarves, hats and gloves to keep the less fortunate warm this winter. Without you, this exercise in giving would not have been possible.

There were over 600 coats collected and distributed. Thank you for making our coat drive a huge success.